No matter which side you take on this variation of the old beer commercial -- "hits great!" or "less belly!" -- the Pablo Sandoval weight debate is one-sided. He's the catalyst of the lineup and a World Series MVP. How about we zip it until the "fit" Giants prove his bat superfluous?

Haven't heard a peep of complaint from A's fans about their superheavyweight. Maybe that's because Big Bartolo Colon has been the ace of the pitching staff.

Even though we concede the NBA is a "player's league," the Clippers got the best of the deal that sends a No. 1 draft pick to the Celtics for coach Doc Rivers. A top-tier coach and a re-sign by point guard Chris Paul are hard to beat.

And, no, there is not a speck of truth to the rumor that Raiders G.M. Reggie McKenzie is shopping coach Dennis Allen around the NFL in hopes of finding a team willing to swap a No. 1 for D.A.

Don't bother checking the reference books: This is the first time the Warriors have approached an NBA draft without a pick -- and without need for a pick.

Just to be clear, A's owners John Fisher and Lew Wolff say they are NOT on board with the lawsuit filed by South Bay politicians. They say they knew nothing of it and wish it hadn't been filed. I'm not winking. No, really, there's something in my eye.

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The A's desire for a new ballpark was understood -- and justified -- years before the latest sewage debacle. The Coliseum clearly is outdated, profoundly imperfect for baseball. By confining the argument to this, the owners cling to a trace of integrity.

With the investigation into Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez continuing in the wake of an associate being murdered, know this: Dozens of professional athletes are quietly watching themselves and their "friends" a lot closer today.

Meanwhile, the preliminary story in Malibu has Scottie Pippen leaving a local restaurant, declined autograph requests and kicking an older man until an ambulance was summoned. Hmm. Let's safely assume there's much more to this story.

Pro Football Talk names Al Davis, John Madden, Fred Biletnikoff and Gene Upshaw as the faces of the Raiders "Mount Rushmore." The fans went with Davis, Madden, Marcus Allen and Howie Long. I'm going with Davis, Madden, Jim Otto and Willie Brown.

The same website and its fans list 49ers representatives as Bill Walsh, Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott and Jerry Rice. Dare anyone to argue with that.

As noted by a T-shirt worn during the Heat's championship celebration -- "Spo Knows" -- due respect finally is making its way to Miami coach Erik Spoelstra.

Tyson Gay smokes Justin Gatlin, two weeks after Gatlin beats the great Usain Bolt. Is there any way we could start the next Summer Olympics three years early?

Love, love, love his passion. I always find myself rooting for Rafael Nadal, the most mesmerizing player in men's tennis, to become the best ever. And once again, on Monday at Wimbledon, Rafa responded by failing to cooperate.

Why boxing is, sigh, boxing: Though local super middleweight champ Andre Ward sits behind only Floyd Mayweather on most pound-for-pound lists, Carl Froch (IBF) and Sakio Bika (WBC) also own belts -- despite both having been beaten by Ward.

Speaking of Mayweather, tickets for his Sept. 14 fight with Canelo Alvarez officially go on sale at 10 a.m. Tuesday. Priced from $350 to $2,000, they could be gone by 10:02.

A fond farewell: Billy Williams, who died at 80 on June 11 in Oakland, was involved in pro baseball for 55 years. His love for the game is illustrated not by earning a cup of coffee in 1969, at age 37, but by coaching and managing in the minors until 2009.